Concord-Carlisle squash club keeps on growing

Saturday

Some members of the Concord-Carlisle squash team are new to the sport. Others joined the squad with prior experience.

All of them, rookie and veteran alike, found a place on the team.

“Everyone is very close,” said freshman Ryan Grace. “There’s no bullying. It’s like a family.”

The team recently completed its second season as an official, school-recognized club, competing in the first public high school tournament in the Boston area on Saturday, March 3. The Concord-Acton Squash Club hosted the event after attempts to get Northeastern University and the Middlesex School to host it fell through.

Five teams, C-C, Needham, Brookline, Squashbusters of Boston and Squashbusters of Lawrence, competed. Brookline won the boys team title, while C-C and Brookline tied for first in the girls standings.

Next year, the five teams will form the Greater Boston Public High School Squash League and receive sanctioning from U.S. Squash.

The C-C team has 27 players, 19 girls and eight boys.

“Most other schools have it the other way around,” said Paul Ansdell of the Concord-Acton Squash Club, who coaches the C-C team. “The other schools have more boys.”

While the club has been officially affiliated with C-C for two years, Ansdell started coaching Concord-Carlisle athletes about 12 years ago when two girls who attended the Nashoba Brooks School wanted to keep playing when they started going to C-C. Squash existed on an informal basis at C-C until last year, when the school recognized it as a club.

“It’s a coed team,” said Pamela Goar, who works at C-C and helps run the team. “It’s extremely nice for the kids. Most of the kids play other sports and it’s a good sport for them to learn.”

Sophomore Ami Sao started playing four years ago when her father introduced her to squash. She enjoys the opportunity to play for her school.

“The people on the team make it really nice,” said Sao, who also plays volleyball. “It’s an individual sport, but the team aspect makes playing for the school unique.”

Said sophomore Isabel Frangueles, “My dad introduced me to the sport, but I stopped playing it. When I found out the school was I decided to jump into it again. I love it. It’s a small team. All know each other. When we play together we support each other a lot.”

Adrian Goode is a sophomore who just started playing squash this year. He also plays football.

“I enjoy it because it’s more individual,” he said. “There’s also a team aspect. The points add up for the team. It’s very different from football, but I play line in football and having to move quickly on the court helps.”

Grace, who has been playing squash for seven years, also plays football and baseball.

“You have the agility and the hand-eye coordination,” Grace said. “A squash ball is smaller than a baseball so that helps improve the coordination.”